Is there a list of places to visit that doesn’t include seeing the Northern Lights? Social media is full of people who want to see the aurora, and these amazing streaks of color in the sky can melt even the hardest of hearts. The northern lights are still one of the most magical things on Earth.
There is a scientific explanation for them that isn’t very romantic, but we don’t want to put out this fire. We can, however, give you a list of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights. For the best viewing experience, you’ll want to pick a dark night. This means you should look up between November and March. Choose a night when there is no moon, and make sure there are no clouds and no other lights around. So, do you want to see something pretty amazing? Here are the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights.
Best Places to See the Northern Lights
Here are some of the best places worldwide to see the Northern Lights.
#1. Fairbank, Alaska
The bitter cold that often comes with seeing the northern lights can be a significant deterrent. Enter Chena Hot Springs Resort, with its healing waters rich in minerals. The adults-only Rock Lake at the resort offers a light show in addition to a soak. Fairbanks is located directly beneath a band of aurora activity, which means that from August to the end of April, the town is treated to a celestial display of green, yellow, and purple.
The phenomenon is most common between 10 p.m., midnight, and 3 a.m., but those who go to bed early need not worry. When the aurora is spotted in the sky, guests in the hotel’s rooms can request a phone call or a door knock.
#2. Svalbard, Norway
Norway has no shortage of breathtaking views. The first is Svalbard, a chain of Arctic islands located halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. Because the archipelago experiences polar night, or perpetual darkness, between mid-November and February, visitors have twice the chance to see the lights, and it is the only inhabited place in the world where the phenomenon can be seen during the day. Join a three-hour snowcat safari or brave the elements on a snowmobile tour that includes a stop for hot drinks and cookies.
#3. Finland
Around 200 nights per year, the northern lights appear over Finland. Doze off while watching the dancing show from a glass igloo at the romantic Kakslauttanen Resort, located north of the Arctic Circle. The next night, take a reindeer-drawn sleigh ride through the surrounding wilderness in search of the aurora borealis. Aside from glass and wooden igloos, there is also a nearly century-old traditional log house with its own sauna. Accommodation options for viewing the natural display abound in Finland, from lakeside glass villas and domes to a northern lights ranch complete with sky cabins with glass windows and roofs.
#4. Troms, Norway
Troms is the largest city in northern Norway and is located in the center of the auroral oval, which is known for having the highest probability of seeing the lights. From late August to early April, the city is known as “The Gateway to the Arctic” and provides visitors with a wide range of tours to choose from. Fjord tours, whale-watching and aurora-spotting tours, and snowmobile adventures with hours of scenery are among them.
The surrounding mountains and fjords are so close to the city center that they can be seen from the main street.
#5. Greenland
Greenland offers excellent chances for viewing milky-green lights due to low light pollution and near-perfect visibility in some areas. A three- or four-night stay during the aurora season (September to early April) provides the best chances of seeing the lights. Settle into one of the igloos at the Hotel Arctic on the edge of the Ilulissat Icefjord; double rooms have electric heating, TVs, and a small bathroom.
On the other hand, plan a trip to Kangerlussuaq if roughing is more your style. This former US military base near the airport counts 300 nights of northern lights sightings per year and hosts aurora excursions that include a tour to witness the phenomenon and an overnight stay on the Greenland Ice Sheet (an experience typically reserved solely for research and expedition purposes).
#6. Yukon, Canada
The northern lights dance across the sky above Canada’s Yukon Territory from August to mid-April. You could spend hours watching the neon shades of green and yellow depending on cloud conditions, light pollution, and the night’s auroral activity. The Northern Lights Centre in Watson Lake teaches visitors about the science and folklore surrounding the Northern Lights. And then, after a night out in the cold, treat yourself to a day of pampering (including a dry-brush massage or aromatherapy session) at Whitehorse’s Northern Lights Resort and Spa.
#7. Scotland
In Scotland, the lights are known as the Mirrie Dancers, which is decidedly more British. They can be seen all over the United Kingdom in the autumn and winter months (and as far south as Kent and East Anglia in England). However, the northernmost parts of the Highlands or the Shetland Islands are your best bet.
You can book a room at Sumburgh Head, a restored Shetland lighthouse overlooking an Atlantic puffin nesting area, or travel to the Isle of Lewis to see the display above the Calanais Standing Stones, a circular formation of rocks thought to have been erected 5,000 years ago.
#8. Churchill, Canada
Polar bears have put the Manitoba town of Churchill on the tourist map because it’s the easiest place to see them. However, because it experiences aurora activity more than 300 nights per year, it is also an excellent location for viewing the northern lights. Book a learning vacation to the Churchill Northern Studies Centre to study astronomy and photograph the northern lights. Alternatively, book a room at the NHA’s rolling sleeper-train Tundra Lodge for unparalleled proximity to bears in their natural habitat, as well as a chance to see the Northern Lights.
#9. Cherry Springs State Park, Pennsylvania
You don’t have to buy a plane ticket to see the lights. Cherry Springs State Park, located away from major cities such as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, is dedicated to preserving its exceptionally dark sky. The area has been designated as a Gold Level International Dark Sky Park by the International Dark Sky Association. The park has strict rules about flashlights and car headlights and uses special light fixtures that do not obstruct visibility. Even if you miss the aurora borealis, you’ll be treated to a spectacular view of the stars. Special events, such as astronomy programs and public viewing nights, are listed on the park’s website.
#10. Iceland
Hotel Rangá in southern Iceland offers a variety of cold-weather activities, including whale watching and dog sledding, as well as glacier tours and freshwater fishing, but the northern lights are its trademark. Because the hotel is located in the countryside, there is little light pollution, allowing for excellent viewing conditions during the season (August through the first days of May). Closer to Reykjavik, the Ion Hotel’s Northern Lights Bar has dim lighting and wraparound windows, allowing guests to watch the aurora while sipping a drink.
#11. Sweden
Every year, artisans painstakingly recreate the Icehotel structure from ice harvested from the Torne River in Lapland, north of the Arctic Circle. Guests can choose between cold room suites (with temperatures ranging from 23 degrees Fahrenheit to approximately 17 degrees Fahrenheit) and warm rooms, with the Ice Room even featuring an ice bed.
The hotel offers a snowmobile safari in the wilderness as well as nightly photography tours to capture the phenomenon in natural settings away from light pollution.
Guests can also arrange for a trip to the nearby Aurora Sky Station in Abisko. The station, which is located 900 meters above sea level, has little light or noise pollution, making it ideal for viewing the light show. From October to the end of March, Abisko is known to have active northern lights almost every evening.
#12. Package Tours
Consider a tour operator that specializes in northern lights experiences if you prefer to leave the planning to someone else. Most tour operators combine exciting arctic excursions with chances to see the northern lights in prime locations. When available, some tours combine light viewings with dips in secret geothermal lagoons and meals in country restaurants, all for less than $160.
What month is best to see the Northern Lights?
The months of November through February have the clearest skies and the longest evenings, making them ideal for stargazing. Even though the brightest lights are most likely to be seen between the hours of 9 p.m. and 2 a.m., the best sightings typically take place between 11 p.m. and midnight.
Which country has the most Northern Lights?
Northern Norway, in particular, is an excellent place to observe the Northern Lights. Travel to this isolated strip of land that is located north of the Arctic Circle in order to search for the lights that are moving about in the skies above.
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